From Ashes to the Phoenix: The Epic of Azula
by Devi Sinzu
Summary: With the Avatar having defeated Fire Lord Ozai, the world can finally look towards a bright future and an era of peace. But how will Azula fit into this new future? Chapter 7 is now up.
1. Breakthroughs and Miracles

**Author's Note: After watching the Avatar Series Finale, I felt that Azula's story was very much unfinished. There are a lot of unresolved questions for her. Why did she go crazy, for god's sake? Where did she go after her defeat? Will she ever lapse from her insanity? These are important questions that I just don't think should go unanswered. So, as an avatar fan, and possibly Azula's only fan, I had to answer them for myself, and for other fans out there. So enjoy, my Avatar ending, called **_**From Ashes to The Phoenix: The Epic of Azula**_**. Please review.**

**Chapter One: Breakthroughs and Miracles**

Walking steadily through the prison chambers, he searched for a familiar face. The screaming inmates, most prisoners of the recently ended war, evil and vile all, were usually deafening loud. But today, even their shrieking voices weren't loud enough to distract him from his own thoughts. _Where is she?_ Constantly radiating through his mind like a mantra, the sentence's constant appearance in his train of thought blocked all the noises around him, keeping him focused on his goal. The goal itself was simple. Find her, and hopefully help her. He walked fast, but also just slow enough for the girl following behind to keep up.

Finally, he found her. Her cell was larger and more extravagantly guarded, for she was a special prisoner. Two guards blocked his way, both large and built.

"We're going to need to be alone for a while," he said to the guards, authority highlighted in his voice with a hint of politeness.

"Yes, sir, of course," replied one of the guards, and after a courteous bow to him, the guards left to provide him with privacy.

He turned to the girl following behind him.

"Stay here, I'll tell you when you can come in," he said to her. In response, she simply nodded, smiled, and wished him luck. He smiled back, turned to the heavy metal door, turned the tumblers and opened the door to the cell.

He walked inside the large room, and at the far end of the room, there she was, behind thick bars with her long ravenous hair fallen over her face and her hand tied firmly behind her back with chains, her arms around a metal column. Instantly, he couldn't help but feel pity for her.

He could only stare at her for a minute. After a time, he mustered the courage he needed, and walked up closer to her. He sat on his knees, and began to speak.

"Azula, it's me," he said, his voice quivering only slightly.

"I know who it is," she returned, her voice dark and unwavering.

She lifted up her head, her hair sliding off her face, revealing her features, still shrouded by the shadows of her cell.

"Fire Lord Zuko, ha! Fire Lord Zuko. I should be fire lord," she said mockingly, spewing the words fire lord like they were arsenic.

"Still bitter I see," He said, sounding unintentionally sarcastic.

"Bitter?" She questioned, almost yelling. She held herself up higher, lifting her head into the small amount of light available behind the bars. He finally saw her face.

She looked crazed, angry, hurt, and hardened all at the same time. Her hair was tangled and frizzy, and her eyes were deep, yet still glowing, as if somewhere inside her she still had the fire. Suddenly, she began to laugh. Her laugh was maniacal, twisted, rooted in evil. He couldn't help but twinge at the sound.

Still laughing, she began to talk again.

"Bitter? Oh Zuko! You act as if you expect me to get over what you did in one night!" She yelled through her laughter.

"You're sick," he retorted in anger.

"My, my, Fire Lord, already abusing your power I see. You think that just because you rule a nation, you have the right to diagnose me as you see fit? You're still pathetic, Zuzu, pathetic and weak as ever," she said forcefully, as if she were speaking the unrequited truth.

"Azula, what's wrong with you?" He asked, almost as though he were begging.

"Don't act like you don't know! I'm a monster, remember? Remember, mother?" She screamed in a flurry.

He was taken back by her words.

"Azula, I'm not mother!" He assured strongly.

"You might as well be! I can see it in your eyes, Zuko! You think I'm a monster, just like she did, and you fear me, just like she did! You're practically one in the same!" She answered, sounding half in pain, half-victorious.

"Azula, I'm you're brother! I don't understand why you've become this way! Don't you remember all those years ago when we never fought, when we respected and loved each other?" He said out of desperation.

Her smiled faded. Her eyes became narrow and menacing.

"It's funny how time changes people, isn't it? Like how time has changed you. Like how you became a thief!" She said, sounding confident in her words.

"A thief? What is it exactly that I stole, Azula?" he interrogated.

"You stole my friends, my position, my mother, my dreams and aspirations! You stole everything from me Zuko! And those times you were referring to were too long ago to be consider legit. So suffer no delusions. The moment I get out of here, the moment I get the chance, I will find you Zuko. I will find you, and kill you!" She said, malevolently.

He stood up, looked down at her, and turned away, shaking his head in sorrow. He looked back just once more.

"I can already tell that you're beyond my help, Azula. But maybe someone else can help you," he said, and walked toward the door. The girl that had accompanied him looked at him with concern.

"Alright. You can come in," he said to the girl.

The girl stepped in, cautiously. Walking into the light, the girl's identity was revealed to her. The sight of the girl instantly made her crazed with anger.

"YOU?" She screamed as she struggled to free herself from her chains.

He became concerned that she would hurt herself, and leaned down and grabbed the bars of her cell.

"Azula, she's only here to help!" He retorted, trying to calm her down.

Her eyes pierced daggers into him. He knew what she was thinking. _How dare he!_ Her anger became all the more uncontrollable. Breathing in heavily, she exhaled, hissing at him. From her mouth spewed a massive torrent of azure, intense flame, flying right toward his face. But he did not flinch. He simply crossed his wrists together, then moved his arms in a circular motion to cross his wrists once more as the flames made contact with his skin, causing the flames to dissipate, leaving him completely unharmed.

She began moving and jerking spontaneously, trying to free herself from her prison while screaming. He took the girl to a corner in the room to talk as she moved about in a frenzied state.

"Zuko, why are you even bothering with her?" The girl asked, having the sound of experience in her words.

"Because, I just can't leave her like this. I'd rather have Azula be her old, evil self than suffer at my hand like this. I hope you can somewhat understand that," he said to the girl, reaching out for sympathy.

"I guess I can understand that. But what makes you think I can help her?" the girl questioned, sounding confused.

"Because, Katara. You just have a way with people," he said, flashing a slight smile. The girl smiled back brightly, then returned to a serious face.

"I'll give it my best shot. But I can't promise any miracles," the girl assured.

"I'm not asking for a miracle. But honestly, I'm kind of hoping for one," he said with a hint of humor, and smiled just a bit. He and the girl hugged briefly, then bowed to each other. He left the two alone, hoping that without his presence, she can have a breakthrough.

The girl turned to her, walked over, and bent down to sit on her knees. She was still moving about, clearly angry, but she was starting to calm down a little, perhaps realizing there was no point to struggling.

"Please, try and calm down," the girl said, almost as though she was talking to herself as well.

"Sorry, I don't listen to peasants!" She yelled cruelly. The girl closed her eyes and frowned, having taken offense to this. Opening her eyes, she glared at her.

"Oh, I'm a peasant? And what are you exactly, huh? I don't know if you've noticed, Azula, but you're in prison! You're not the crown princess anymore, heck! You're not even upper class. I'm the one walking free, so if anyone's a peasant here, it's you!" The girl said out of anger.

She stopped moving all together and looked angrily at the girl. Looking around for a moment, deep in thought, she realized that the girl was actually right. Tears began to flow from eyes, but she still had enough control over herself to stop them before she broke down into crying all together. She closed her eyes as one, sole tear ran down her cheek, sat back upright, and opened her eyes to look the girl in the eye.

"Just go away. You've already beaten me once before. What other possible victory could you garner from me today?" she said, for once in her life admitting defeat.

"Azula, you're paranoid. You think that when someone shows you kindness, generosity, or genuine concern, they're either handing out pity or trying to hurt you," the girl said with conviction.

She could only look away from the girl as another tear rolled down her cheek.

"My question is why. Why do you think that, Azula?" The girl asked in a concerned tone.

"Don't try to handle me, little girl," she said coldly with a hint of jeer.

"I only asked a question, Azula," the girl said in response, ignoring her cruel words.

She looked back into the eyes of the girl and furrowed her brow in frustration.

"You seriously don't know what you're getting yourself into," she said angrily in an attempt to scare the girl.

"Answer the question, Azula. Why?" the girl said. The room was silent for a brief moment until the girl pressed on in her interrogation.

"Is it because of you're mother?" the girl asked.

Her eyes widened at the girl's remark. She could no longer control her tears. Anger and pain illuminated through her wide-eyed glare.

"Don't you dare mention that woman to me!" she said, her voice cracking slightly.

"Oh, okay, I get it now! You have issues with your mother!" the girl said with a tone of humor, trying to get a rise out of her.

"Just leave me alone!" she growled. But the girl did not heed her words.

"Come on, Azula! What's the story? Why do you hate your own mother so much?" the girl asked insistently.

Finally, she snapped. Her eyes began to flood with cold tears, rolling down her face like a typhoon.

"You want to know the story? Fine! Here's the story! When I was first learning firebending, my talent was unquestionable. I was a born natural, every move, every technique; it all came so easily to me. You would think there was nothing wrong with being good at something, but no! My mother hated it because father loved it! Because my father took pride in my firebending, she didn't!" she screamed, crying heavily. The girl had a look of shock on her face, as if she had just heard a truth she didn't really want to hear.

"And then there's Zuko. Because he wasn't earning father's attention, she swarmed to him to drown him in motherly love, leaving me out to dry! So if I couldn't have her love just being myself, I'd keep my father's love by being what he expected me to be! And because of that, not only did she hate me, she feared me! Me, her own daughter! Well, if she doesn't love me, why should I love her?" she said, screaming as though to convince herself.

The girl moved her hand over her mouth as tears rolled down her cheek, feeling not only sympathy, but also almost empathy for her sad story.

"Azula…I'm so sorry…" the girl tried to say. But she ignored her, and continued to sob.

The girl finally understood her. Wiping away her tears, the girl tried to assimilate what she had just heard into simpler words.

"I…I think I actually understand you Azula. You are who you in part because this is who you really are, but at the core of it, you're trying to get back at your mother. She basically abandoned you, and since you couldn't find love from her, you turned to your father. His love was conditional, while her love was practically non-existent to you, so you met those conditions to feel…well, loved. But true love is unconditionally, and I'm sorry Azula. I'm sorry that you weren't loved the way you should have been. Truly," the girl said with sincerity.

Her crying had quieted somewhat, but she could no longer look at the girl.

"Please, just go now," she pleaded.

The girl got up and walked out the door, leaving her alone. She thought over the girl's words, realizing them to be true and sincere. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't get the tears flowing from her eyes to stop. But no one was there to hear her cry anymore, and so she let go of all her self-control, and allowed the tears to fall in the solitude of her prison cell.


	2. Healing Session

**Chapter Two: Healing Session**

The girl sauntered through the halls of the palace, trying to find his room. Finally, the girl discovered the ornate, giant door, and knocked. The door flew open, and on the other side was Mai.

"Oh, hey Katara. What's up?" Mai asked the girl kindly.

"Hey, Mai. Is Zuko around? I need to talk to him," The girl returned.

"Yea, sure, give me a second," Mai replied with a friendly tone as she closed the door. A few moments later, he came out of the door to greet the girl.

"Hey Katara! How did things go with Azula?" he asked with interest.

"Actually, things went pretty good. I feel like I'm connecting with her!" the girl said enthusiastically.

"Really? That's…wow that's surprising," he said, sounding shocked.

"Believe it or not, Azula isn't beyond help. I feel like I can really help her. I'd like to go back sometime if you don't mind," the girl returned.

"Go ahead. But, just be careful. You know how unpredictable and manipulative she is," he warned.

"Don't worry, Zuko, I can take care of myself," the girl said with a wink. The two hugged and parted ways, him returning to his room to Mai, and the girl leaving to find her other friends.

The girl had returned to her prison cell, ready for another attempt to help her. The same two guards from the last visit were blocking the girl's way.

"I'm here for the Fire Lord. Please tell Azula she has company," the girl said politely. One of the guards opened the door and yelled through the cell to her.

"Hey, you have a visitor!" the guard yelled.

"You can go in," the other guard said. The girl bowed to both of the guards and entered the cell, hearing the door close behind her. There she was, in the same condition as the last visit, but surprisingly more calm, and seemingly unsurprised by the visit of the girl. There was still something off about her, though, like she could break at any moment.

"Umm…hi. It's me again," the girl said awkwardly. She blew her hair out of her face and rolled her eyes.

"I hope you didn't come to insult my intelligence. I can clearly see it's you," she said smoothly and coldly.

There was an awkward silence for a time, with both of them just staring at each other, as though they were anticipating each other's moves like they were in battle.

"Well, this has certainly been fun, if not all together pointless, but if you only came here for a staring contest, well, you know where the exit is, right?" she said wickedly. The girl blinked for the first time in almost three minutes. In reality, the girl was very unsure of how to start off a conversation with her after the last visit's depressing confession. Taking a deep breath, the girl tried to continue.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I--" the girl said, who was then interrupted by her.

"Let me ask you a question," she insisted.

"Umm…okay," the girl said, bewildered.

"Why are you here?" she asked, breaking the ice.

"I want to help you," the girl answered, almost as though her answer was a question.

"And why is that? I'm pretty sure I've tried to kill you once or twice," she questioned.

The girl had to stop and think on the question for a moment. _Why do I want to help her? _The girl thought long and hard until she finally came upon an answer.

"The war is over. You can either stay in here the rest of your life, or you can change, adapt, and learn to live in this new world. And for a reason that I don't know myself, I don't want you to stay in here. Maybe it's out of pity for you about your jerk of a father or--" the girl answered until she was yet again interrupted.

"Save your pity. Get out," she said quickly and darkly.

"Well, Azula, maybe at this point my pity is all you deserve," the girl said sharply.

She mowed over the girl's quick retort, realizing its validity. The girl relaxed a little.

"I'm going to ask you a crazy question," the girl said with a tone of unwillingness.

"What could you're question possibly be?" She said sarcastically.

"Do you have any friends?" the girl asked sheepishly.

She took a breath, trying to find the courage to answer such a painful question.

"I did…once…"she said sadly.

"What happened to them?" the girl questioned, peaked with curiosity.

"Those fools, Ty Lee and Mai betrayed me!" she said, raising her voice just a little to cover the hurt.

"Azula, they had no choice! Mai betrayed you because you tried to kill the love of her life! And Ty Lee betrayed you to save Mai's life!" The girl said sternly.

"Yes they had a choice! They could have feared my wrath, and stayed by my side!" she exclaimed, holding back tears.

"I don't know about you, Azula, but I've never heard of friendship being based on fear," The girl explained, trying to help her realize her mistake.

She closed her eyes and let a few tears roll down her cheek. She sniffed a little, but the rest of her body stood still and unmoving.

"Well, fear is a powerful agent. Besides, I didn't need friends. I only used them for their worth in battle, that's all!" She said, turning her head from the girl.

"Azula, quit lying to yourself. Clearly you were hurt by their betrayal because, whether you want to admit it or not, they were your best friends. And guess what, Azula? You need your friends now," the girl returned.

She began crying, but her crying was normal today, not crazed and psychotic like before. The girl noticed this, too, and realized that maybe she was helping her.

"Even if you're right, it's not like they'd talk to me now!" she said over her tears.

"Why do you think that?" the girl asked.

"Well, it's like you said. I tried to kill the people they cared about most! They would never forgive me, ever! But it's not like I really care or anything!" she said in a vain attempt to convince herself.

"Yes you do, Azula," the girl said with authority.

She looked up at the girl, whose gaze was as unwavering as her own. She began to cry again, knowing that the girl was right.

The girl could tell she was not only in mental pain, but physical as well, probably a result of all her crying and the awkward position she was in. The girl walked up to the door where the guards stood on the other side.

"Excuse me, guards? Could you raise her bars for me?" the girl asked kindly.

"Are you sure that's wise, miss?" One of the guards questioned.

"Don't worry, I can handle Azula if she tries anything," the girl said convincingly.

"Well…all right, but be careful, miss," the guard replied.

Inside the room, the bars to her cell suddenly began to rise, along with the large pillar that her arms were tied around. Her body began to relax into a more comfortable position as the girl walked behind her. The girl, using her waterbending, summoned some of the water from her canteen and with a wave of her hand forced it to fall on her wrists, freezing them to the ground to she couldn't try to escape. The girl then bent down to sit behind her.

"What are you doing?" she asked, a tone of fear in her voice.

"You need a healing session," the girl returned.

Remembering how the girl had healed him, she relaxed, inviting the girl's healing abilities. Her body was very sore, and her she had a piercing headache from her crying.

The girl bent the water to lay over her two temples, and the water began to glow bright as the girl's healing abilities charged through the water to her body.

She suddenly felt a chill fall down her back, and all her muscles began to tinge, as though they were being massaged. He bones stopped aching, everything that needed to be cracked was, and her headache was steadily disappearing in gentle, icy pulses. The experience was incredibly relaxing and invigorating, and she could also feel her mind starting to clear. She could feel the energy in her body flowing like a cold, Tundra River, and she closed her eyes, embracing the healing fully. Suddenly, she could feel the girl's water leave her temples, but her body felt like the pillar of health and perfection. For once in a very long time, she felt like herself.

"Feel better?" the girl asked, smiling slightly.

"Yes, actually," she returned, stretching her back.

"I'm going to do this again, but this time, I want you to think. I want you to think about your future. What do you want from it?" The girl insisted, as she manipulated the water back onto her temples.

As the girl's healing powers began to activate once more, she thought like the girl had requested. What did she want from the future? Her thoughts were deep and true, trying to find the answer within herself.

_What do I want from the future? Well, I certainly don't want to be stuck in this awful prison the rest of my life. But things can never be the same. The war is over! Zuko is Fire Lord! The two things that drove my life, being in the war and becoming Fire Lord, are suddenly unattainable! All my skills, my cunning, my manipulation, my war knowledge, are all completely useless in this era of peace Zuko and the Avatar have created. So, where will my place be now? What direction is my life supposed to go now?_

The water once again left her temples, and she was brought back to earth.

"I'm going to leave now," the girl said as she stood up and unfroze her hands.

"But I'll be back next week," the girl finished with a smile.

"As if I care," she returned and rolled her eyes, hoping she convinced the girl of her impartialness.

The girl walked out the door, and as she did, one of the guards came back in.

"Hold your arms up behind you, miss," the guard ordered. She sighed at the guard's demand, but obeyed him non-the less, and from the ceiling of her cell, the bars and the pillar came back to into their proper places. The guard left and locked the door, leaving her in her relative solitude. She adjusted her position to something more comfortable, and tried to sleep.

An hour later, she was still wide-awake, haunted by the question the girl had asked. _What do I want from the future?_ She knew that it would take more than one day to answer the question, and tried to push the thought to the back of her mind. But she knew avoiding the question wasn't going to help her. After all, the future could be tomorrow if she would let it.

"You're food's here," informed one of her prison guards. The metal pillar around which her arms were tied was raised up, freeing her from her uncomfortable position. She fell to the floor immediately, half-awake from her slumber following the girl's visit. The bars in her cell also rose up. The two guards came towards her, one holding food, one holding a key. The guard with the key unlocked her chains, which bound her hands behind her, as the other guard dropped the plate in front of her. They walked away, not bothering with a double take for her. They then left her alone to eat, securing her prison cell door behind them.

Still lying on the floor, her long hair gone astray in every which direction over her face, she slowly lifted her hand to her cheek. Moving her hair behind her ear, she lifted herself up and winced. Her arms were weak from a lack of use and her tiredness. She sat up cross-legged, still remembering her royal upbringing, mannerisms and etiquette. She looked down at her food in disgust. The meal comprised of corn, poorly spiced chicken, and cabbage. Her glass of water was now half-full, the rest of the water spilled on the floor from when the prison guard rudely dropped her meal in front of her.

_What slop is this? Surely it is unfit for royalty. I remember when I would eat the finest foods in the Fire Nation, an endless banquet of the most exquisite dishes imaginable. And I should still be eating like royalty! I am Princess Azula of the Fire Nation! Or…at least I was. I guess I really don't know who I am, now_.

She hesitantly picked up the chicken and placed it in her mouth. As she chewed, she grimaced. It was cold, plain, and rubbery. She swallowed it quickly, hoping to end the experience of eating the terrible poultry as quickly as possible. Looking around her cell, a thought occurred to her. Her hands were free; the bars weren't in her way. It was quite possible for her to escape at that moment. With firebending skills, the task would be child's play. She tried to stand up, but her legs quaked incessantly. Her legs, too, were weak from a lack of use, and she realized that she was too weak to even attempt a jailbreak in a prison so heavily guarded. Frustrated, she sat back down immediately and sighed. At that moment, she had a rather depressing revelation.

Even if she escaped, where would she go? What would she do? Who could she turn to? She knew she had nowhere to go, and all her allies had recently turned on her. And, most disturbing of all, she had nothing to do. She had been a woman of action all her life, an ambitious goal-setter. But her life had suddenly lacked direction. For the first time in her young life, she felt truly lost. She ceased her eating, having lost her appetite. She could feel the tears coming once again to plague her with submission, but before they could come, her feelings of being lost were replaced but feelings of rage.

_What am I doing? I'm still Princess Azula of the Fire Nation! I don't just surrender to feelings of despair and weakness. I make OTHERS feel despair, and exploit THEIR weakness!_

She once again attempted to stand up, and even though her legs shook with weakness, she still rose to her feet. Standing up slightly hunched, she felt her feelings of angst disappear. In its place, she could feel warmth of energy, like her inner fire had once again been lit. One of the guards turned around to gaze into the barred window in the heavy metal door and gasped. There was the prisoner, gazing at him with her piercing golden eyes with a fierce stubbornness. He could feel a bead of sweat roll down his neck and a sinking feeling in his stomach. He knew his prisoner was up to something, and based on her nature, he also knew that was too unpredictable for him to even guess what she was planning. She simply smiled.

"I'm done with my meal," she said, still grinning wickedly.


	3. Truth and Consequences

**Chapter Three: Truth and Consequences**

Staring up at the morning sky, he breathed in the cool, fresh air, and basked in the warmth of the brilliant rinsing sun. He listened to the hypnotic chirping of the parrot-doves, and let his mind wander. Deep in thought, he didn't even hear his girlfriend, Mai, sauntering up behind him. Wrapping her hands around his stomach, Mai hugged him intimately. He was startled at first, but relaxed quickly to the tender embrace of Mai.

"Am I still aloud to touch you whenever I want, Fire Lord, or will I be thrown in prison?" Mai said jokingly.

"I can maybe reduce your sentence, but I don't have a problem dating a criminal," he returned in jest.

He turned around and wrapped his arms around Mai and leaned in. Mai leaned in as well, and they shared a tender kiss. He leaned out and looked into eyes, their foreheads resting on each other's.

"Well, good morning," Mai said, blushing just slightly.

"Back at you," He returned, rubbing her nose with his. Mai pushed him away and put her hands on her hips.

"Geese, don't make me throw up. I can only handle so much romanticism, you know," Mai said sarcastically, smiling as brightly as the sun rising in the east.

"Well, maybe if you'd stop being so great, I wouldn't have to play Mister Romance all the time," he replied just as sarcastically.

"Don't stop. It's a good role for you," Mai said as she placed her hand on his face. Kissing his cheek, she turned away and leaned on the balcony.

"So, what's on the agenda for today? I was hoping we could do a nice picnic in the Fire Lily field," Mai said as she stretched.

"Sure, I've got time. I'm not doing much today besides-," he answered before he was interrupted by a knock at the door.

"You may enter," he said with authority. An imperial firebender entered the room in a hurry. Nearly running up to him, the firebender bowed in respect.

"What is it?" he questioned, sounding just a little irritated.

"Sir, there's a problem…at the prison…" the imperial firebender said hesitantly. Taking in his words, his happy demeanor quickly faded to rage.

"Azula…" he said, clenching his jaw in fury.

The girl rushed to the royal throne room, having been called for an immediate audience with him. The girl's shoes clacked on the marble as she hurried to her destination. Reaching the curtained entrance, the girl moved the curtains from her path and walked in. Inside, ornate pillars and rows of intense flame were present. He was there sitting on the thrown, with a troubled look on his face. He looked at the girl and offered a slight smile, but it quickly faded. He got up off his thrown and walked up to the girl. They bowed to each other and then hugged. He then stepped back and took a deep breath.

"Zuko, what's the matter? Your messenger made it sound urgent," the girl said in an alarmed tone.

"It's Azula. She's, well, how can I say this," he replied with difficulty.

"Just spit it out!" The girl demanded, obviously anxious to hear about the situation.

"Azula's taken over the prison," he said bluntly.

The girl's face showed confusion. Taken back, she took a moment to think.

"Wait, what do you mean by taken over?" she questioned, still bewildered.

"After your last visit, she broke out of her cell and took down every guard that got in her way, all because she wanted to take a shower. Now she has the guards scared half to death! So scared that they'll obey her every command," he answered in a rush.

"Okay, I can see how that's a problem, but why do you need me? Can't you take care of it?" the girl inquired, still not understanding.

"Perhaps you didn't hear me. The guards are scared out of their minds of Azula! And I'm too busy! I can't handle running a nation and running an insane asylum at the same time! Katara, I need you to go over and talk some sense into her, or at least take her down," he said in frustration. In response, the girl showed a mischievous look on her face.

"Oh, so I'm just another one of your subjects, here for your command?" the girl teased.

"No, I don't mean it like that-," he stated, trying to change the girl's view on the subject.

"Oh, no, no, I understand. I'm honored to serve the Fire Lord," the girl commented in an attempt to make a joke. In response, he his rolled eyes, annoyed at how his friends constantly liked reminding him that in their eyes he wasn't Fire Lord, but a close friend. He smiled as he shook his head.

"So, in all seriousness, will you help me out here?" he said almost as if he were pleading.

"Sure, I think I can lend a hand," the girl answered with a cynical tone. After he thanked the girl, the two hugged and then bowed. Soon, the girl was off to the prison to offer her assistance, but she had no idea what to expect once she arrived.

As the girl was escorted inside the prison by a guard, she could immediately sense the oddity. The guards were hurrying about in a nervous fashion, and the inmates were unusually quiet. The girl looked to the guard escorting her and noticed that he too was in a jumpy state. _Something's definitely wrong here_, the girl thought to herself.

As the girl came upon her holding cell, she noticed that the metal door was unlocked. The two guards beside the door looked as though they weren't so much as guarding the person in the cell, but protecting them. One of the guards pushed the door open for the girl. The girl was overwhelmed with annoyance. _Some maximum-security prison this is!_ The girl thought as she placed her hand on her hip.

"You guys aren't helping the situation. Go be wimps somewhere else, okay?" the girl said in irritation to the guards. The guards bolted off on her command. _I probably just did them a favor_, she thought as she watched the guards practically run away. Taking a moment to focus, the girl stood in silence. Ready to go, she entered the holding cell.

The girl could only hang her mouth open in awe. The prison cell had been changed into a royal quarter. In the cell was a massive bed, a vanity armoire, and a feast laid out on a golden table. Lying comfortably in a silk robe on the bed was the prisoner, eating from of goblet of grapes beside her.

"Well, well, if this isn't a surprise. Here for your weekly visit, I assume? If that's the case I'm afraid you'll be disappointed to hear that I'm not really in the mood to have a heart to heart," she said coldly and smoothly as she popped a grape into her mouth.

"Azula, what do you think you're doing?" the girl interrogated sternly.

"Well I thought I was giving you the hint to leave, but clearly you can't take a hint," she returned with vigor.

"I'm not going anywhere!" the girl stated angrily. Her smiled quickly faded as she lowered her head. Her face depicted lunacy and wrath, a face that the girl couldn't help but cringe at.

"I'll make you regret that decision," she said with a hint of rage. The girl simply stood resolute.

"You know what you're doing is pathetic," the girl said to her as she stepped off her bed. She froze in her tracks.

"What do you mean by that?" she inquired as she leaned on her bed.

"Taking over a prison? You've really lowered yourself," the girl said mockingly. She actually looked surprised by the girl's words.

"No, no, I'm agile, versatile, methodic. I took advantage of my situation and environment and adapted. It's what I had to do, it's what I've always had to do!" she rambled in way that suggests she weren't really talking to the girl but to herself.

"Well, here's a question for you. Why not just leave?" the girl asked. Her face changed from an expression of shock and delusion to confusion and distant.

"Come on! You could have easily escaped by now! What's stopping you from freedom?" the girl questioned with solidity. She could only look away from the girl.

"Shut up!" she said almost in a whisper.

"Is the fact that you don't have any place to go? Is it the fact that you have nothing to turn to? Is it the fact that you have no one to rely on? Am I in the right area, Azula?" the girl asked mercilessly.

"No, I have Mai and Ty Lee!" she said in defense. Her face showed that she was slowly coming out of her trance of repression into reality.

"Oh, no you don't! They abandoned you, remember? Because you tried to hurt people they care about!" the girl informed.

"It wasn't my fault they turned! They should have thought less about their personal lives and more about their loyalty. Their loyalty to their country, to their duties, to their princess!" she said in a fit.

"What princess? All I see is a washed up failure. Your right to the throne was removed by Zuko!" the girl returned harshly. The girl felt terrible for what she was saying, but she knew she couldn't stop. The girl had to get through to her any way that she could.

"I'm not a failure!" she screamed.

"You're not? Well, you failed to win the crown, you failed to win the war, and you failed to keep your friends. That sounds like a failure to me!" the girl replied.

"No! Shut up!" she yelled almost as though she were asking.

"Face it, Azula! You know that you have nothing beyond the walls of this prison!" the girl stated bluntly.

She could feel a lump in her throat, her eyes swell with tears, and her head start to ache. Everything the girl was saying was like a strike from a hammer. She could only take so much more bludgeoning before she would completely break.

"Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!" she yelled in a hysterical rage.

"No, Azula! Not until you face reality! You've lost everything! And it hurts, doesn't it? It hurts when the things you take for granted, the things you thrived upon and cared about most disappear into thin air?" the girl asked forcefully.

"No, I can adapt. That's what I do," she retorted with the sound of doubt.

"Adaptation is relative to what you're doing, Azula! And right now all you're doing is wasting away," the girl yelled.

"No, please just shut up!" she pleaded.

"Why is this so hard for you to understand? You will never truly adapt until you acknowledge and accept your losses and failures. You'll never truly adapt until you ask yourself the big questions!" the girl explained loudly. She knew she couldn't take much more.

"Who are you? And What do you want?" the girl stated with aggression. The girl could see the tears start to roll down her face as the looked into the mirror on her vanity armoire. As she looked, her face turned from anger to complete sadness and despair. Suddenly, she let loose all her pent up emotions and screamed at the top of her voice as she fell to her knees in tears.

"I DON'T KNOW!" she cried. Never before has the girl seen her give into her emotions completely. Watching her cry so humanly was almost heartbreaking for the girl. The girl ran over and sat on her knees as she wrapped her arms around her. She rested her head on the girl's shoulder as she gripped her shirt in emotional agony. The girl placed her hand on her head as she cried, offering an occasional, " Shh, it's okay," for support. She couldn't take the weight of her emotions by herself, and for once was truly glad for the girl's presence. She continued to cry, letting out all her suppressed feelings.

Suddenly, the girl drew her finger to her cheek, and before the girl realized what she was doing, she wiped away a single tear. The girl discovered that she, too, was crying.


	4. Past Life

**Chapter Four: Past Life**

Watching in enticement as the flame on the candle danced about, she could feel the pangs of reality slowly emerging before her. Lying on her side on her bed, she pushed the thoughts away to avoid the pain. She concentrated on the flame for distraction. She noticed how it swayed and flickered, like a little heartbeat. At that moment she realized she could control that flame, make it do whatever she willed it to. She moved her arm straight out and pointed her index and middle finger at the flame. Raising her arm while her fingers pointed down at the flame, she lowered her arm again and flipped her hand so that her palm was facing up. From this motioning of her arm and fingers, the flame grew triple in size and grew so intensely hot that it turned bright blue. The small, orange flame it used to be was replaced by a torrent of blue fire.

She loved it. She loved having power over such a dangerous and unstable element. But she knew her lust for power was the cause for her current predicament. Drawing her arm back, she relinquished her control over the fire, and it dissipated back into an orange, dimming flame. She sighed and turned to lie on her back. She looked around and felt a sinking feeling in her stomach.

Even though she had the guards terrified into obedience, she was still in prison. And for the first time since her incineration, she knew she belonged there. After the water tribe girl's last visit, she was learning to live in reality, as depressing as it was. And the reality was that she was lost.

"Princess Azula, you have a visitor," a guard said from behind the metal door to her cell. The door flung open and in walked the girl. She had a smile on her face. She couldn't help but roll her eyes. _Who smiles in a prison?_ She thought.

"Hi, Azula," the girl said cheerfully.

"Hi," she returned quickly and indifferently.

"So, how are you?" the girl asked with earnestly.

"Bleak," she answered bluntly.

"Oh. Well, at least you're feeling things," the girl returned. An awkward silence ensued.

"So…if you don't mind, today, I'd like to dig a bit deeper," the girl said confidently.

"Oh joy. Deeper how?" she asked sarcastically.

"This may be a bit intrusive, but I'd like to hear about your life. Your childhood, your past. You know, stuff like that," the girl suggested with courage. She began laughing at the request.

"Surely you're joking," she giggled.

"Why?" the girl asked, sounding hurt.

"I don't know if you've noticed, but I'm not exactly an open book. I don't just go around, telling my life story," she informed with sharp wit.

"Please, Azula, I think it could help. Help me help you," the girl asked insistently.

"You can stop right there. You're not a doctor, so go play doctor with someone else," she exclaimed.

"Come on, Azula! You can trust me!" the girl stated with a tone of kindness.

"Trust? Trust is useless and unreliable," she replied with resolve.

"This is why we need to talk about your past. Things like your trust issues stem from your childhood. If you want to change and adapt for the better, you need to deal with what you are and who you were first," the girl explained with intelligence. She took a moment to gather and understand the girl's words, and found them to be wise.

"I guess…you could be right…" she said, trying to get past her pride. She thought for a moment, and grimaced. The girl only smiled brightly.

"What part of my life did you have in mind?" she interrogated with hesitation.

"Let's just work our way up. How about starting with your childhood," the girl stated as she put her hair behind her ear.

"My childhood…wow. Now that I think about it, it almost seems like a past life," she started as she let the memories begin to flow.

"I was born about two years after Zuko. I guess he saw me as an uninvited interruption in his life and treated me accordingly. Father wasn't particularly excited upon my birth, either. He didn't want another child, especially a girl. So, for the first few years of my life, my mother was my salvation. But I was in constant competition with Zuko for her attention. I quickly started to resent my brother," she revealed as she stared at the floor. The girl listened attentively as she told her tale.

"It's funny. I don't really remember my father during those years. He was just this enigmatic figure that I desperately wanted to know. There was just something about the power, the dominance, the regality that he exuded that I found so compelling. I remember when I first saw him firebend. It was some kind of honor party for my grandfather, Fire Lord Azulon. Father was to exhibit his skills to entertain him. I was maybe about four at the time. It was amazing. I remember it all. The pillars of brilliant fire, the loud, thunderous explosion of the lightning. It was breathtaking. I remember the round of applause from the audience, the adoration. At that moment, I realized that I wanted to be just like him," she explained through a smile. The girl only furrowed her brows, a bit disgusted by the thought of anyone wanting to be like Ozai. But the girl continued to listen, intrigued.

"I began to emulate him, subtly of course, starting with Zuko. I noticed how father didn't let anyone tell him no or push him around. So I should do the same. When Zuko tried to push me around, I pushed back even harder. It's odd, isn't it? That Zuko was the bully, and not me?" she inquired humorously.

The girl smiled, albeit half-heartedly.

"I guess so, yeah," the girl returned with a questioning tone. She smiled slightly at the girl, but turned quickly and looked once again at the floor. She could feel her hair fall over her face.

"I started sneaking away from my mother's watchful eye to see my father in action. I popped in during his war meetings, his late night conversations with grandfather, and his firebending sessions. One night he finally caught me. I thought for sure he would punish me. Instead, he gave me a lesson. I learned some basic firebending forms, breathing exercises, things like that. It wasn't anything amazing or advanced, but I was enraptured," she told the girl as she smiled brightly.

"I know exactly what you mean. I felt the same way when I started waterbending with Master Paku. The first lesson is always the best" the girl returned with joy. She nodded in agreement.

"After the lesson, I remember father praising me, telling me I was a natural talent. I remember the pride illuminating in his eyes. You could say it was our first bonding experience," she said as she smoothed her hair over her left shoulder with her hands. The girl shook her head, feeling sorry that her most memorable bonding experience was with someone as evil as Ozai.

"After that night, my father tried to convince my mother to let me start firebending. She was very hesitant, claiming I was too young. She finally gave in, obviously. The night before I would meet my firebending master, I couldn't sleep at all. I was too excited to even sit still. The morning couldn't come fast enough. My father had arranged for me to be taught by the man who taught him, Master Kaizu. It was an overwhelming honor. Even Zuko, my older brother, didn't have the privilege to be trained by someone of such high regard. His master was Uncle," she said as she rolled her eyes in disgust.

"I never really liked Uncle Iroh. He was the total opposite of father, which to me would be comparable to being a disgrace. His royal, tea-loving kookiness was too peaceful and humble for me, not proud and domineering like father. Ah, but I digress," she said, waving her hand through her hair, causing it to fly up. The girl didn't appreciate what she said about Iroh, a man the girl personally found to be a man of great honor and wisdom.

"Master Kaizu was the most amazing bender I had ever seen, more so than father. His talent was unquestionable, and he and I became very close. He was like a second uncle, really. But non the less, he was quick-tempered, aggressive, and demanding, very much like myself. That's probably why we got along so well. Father would sometimes watch Kaizu and I practice, and when I would make a mistake, he would scold me heavily. To me, seeing the disappointment drawn upon his face and his frustration caused by me was more than I could bear. I didn't want to falter my father's pride in me, so I made sure I did everything perfectly. Everything," she said, as her face turned from an expression of happiness to sadness. The girl didn't know how to respond to what she had revealed.

"I quickly began to exceed my brother. By then, I had broken him in, and I was the one who was in control. Whenever I would bring him down, he would run and cry to mother. It was pathetic, actually. Mother became aware of how I was treating Zuko, and would hover over him to protect him from me, which meant Zuko got to have mother's affections even more. Well at that point I didn't care. Zuko could go ahead and have mother. It didn't matter. Mother didn't love me anyway," she continued in a state of melancholy. The girl could see the hurt on her face. Because she was usually so self-assured and confident in who she was, the girl was surprised to see how much the opinion of one person had affected her.

"I remember when my father and mother began to fight about me. I listened through the door to my Mother and Father's room. Mother said I was out of control, and that father should stop encouraging my behavior. Father naturally disagreed. He said that I was perfect. My heart swelled with so much pride upon hearing that. My mother disagreed, and said I wasn't perfect, I was a monster. As far as I could recall, that was the first time in my entire life that I cried," she said as a tear began to run down her cheek. She quickly wiped it away before she began crying right then.

"The next day, while I was training with Master Kaizu, I remember that I was distracted, the words I had heard the night before still running through my mind. My father noticed how poorly I was doing, and began to yell at me, telling me to shape up and focus. I tried, but I just couldn't. He interrupted the lesson and took me for a walk in the Fire Lilly fields. He asked me what was wrong, and I began to cry as I told him. He paused for a moment. I think it was the first time in his life he was at a loss for words. He bent down and grabbed my shoulders. He said with a stern face that mother didn't know what she was talking about. He stared into my eyes for the longest time. Finally, he spoke, and said that I was the perfect little girl. He got back up on his feet and told me to stop crying, that the strong don't cry. I wiped my tears away and stopped my crying as best I could. We walked in silence for a while before I stopped him. I hugged him, and I told him that I would be perfect for him. He didn't hug me back," she said with a blank expression on her face. There was a long silence before she began to speak again.

"Zuko started noticing how much attention and praise I was getting from father. It was clear that he was becoming jealous. Zuko being the jealous one for once made me feel invincible. I began flaunting father's affections in Zuko's face. You see, father never really took an interest in Zuko, especially since it seemed he failed everything he tried to accomplish. It was some kind of torture for him to see father and I bonding in a way he never could. But by then, he practically had mother to himself. Mother and I hardly saw eye to eye on things, anyway, and she scolded me regularly. But the only words I would listen to were my father's," she said as the girl adjusted as sat on her bottom instead of her knees.

"When I was six years old, mother and father enrolled me in the Royal Fire Academy for girls. I remember how the other girls worshipped and followed my every order, just because they were afraid I could get Fire Lord Azulon to put them in prison. I was practically the Fire Lord in that school. I remember the day I met Ty Lee and Mai. It was after school, and all the girls went out to go play hide and explode. Ty Lee and Mai were on my team, and we conquered that game. The other girls didn't stand a chance. We became the best of friends since. That is of course until recently, but that doesn't matter now," she said, pretending not to care while talking about her former friends.

"When I was about seven, Uncle Iroh went to war to conquer Ba Sing Se. Because of this, Zuko no longer had a firebending master. Father arranged for Kaizu to teach Zuko in Uncle's absence. I was outraged. Kaizu was my master, mine! I was the only one honorable enough to be trained by Father's teacher! Zuko did not deserve the right in the slightest. But father's word was final, and I had to accept it. Upon Zuko's first day, I noticed how poorly skilled Zuko was. I was immensely ahead of Zuko. Father and Kaizu noticed this, too. I remember the day Kaizu had Zuko and I spar. I beat Zuko easily. In response to the spar, father told Kaizu right in front of Zuko that I was just born lucky, and he was lucky to be born. I loved hearing father say that, but it hurt Zuko deeply, which made me even happier. But then my mind began to storm with thoughts. Iroh must not be such a great firebender himself if that was the best he could do with Zuko. It became obvious at that point that father would make a greater Fire Lord than Uncle. The Fire Lord had to be a firebending master, after all, so the right to throne should have belonged to the greater firebender, not automatically to the first born." she said as she began to express a devilish look on her face.

"I told my father my thoughts on Iroh. My father laughed quite loudly in response. He told me that he has been thinking the exact same thing. Father began describing every plausible reason he should be Fire Lord, and the more he talked about it, the more it made sense. Father was more decisive and commanding than Iroh, more powerful and attentive than Iroh, and had greater vision and aspirations for the Fire Nation than Iroh ever would. I told father that he would make an excellent Fire Lord, and as he smiled, he told me that I would make the perfect little princess. I thought about what he said, and after that point, I became resolved to be Princess of the Fire Nation," she said as she got up off the bed and began pacing back and forth.

"I began to sharpen my mind. I studied up on the war, the history of the Fire Nation, and sneaked into more war meetings to note how to be a successful leader by listening to how the Generals won their battles. I also sharpened my body, and practiced my firebending every day, along with gymnastics and various other martial arts. The more I excelled, the prouder my father became. My mother became concerned, but I didn't bother to listen to her worries. But as it turns out, my mother wouldn't be a problem for long," she said as she stopped her pacing and leaned on the bed.

"When I was eight, close to turning nine, mother received a letter from Iroh, saying that he was coming home and that Lu Ten, his son, had died in the battle at Ba Sing Se. I honestly didn't care. I was never close to Lu Ten. He was never really interested in my side of the family, so we never saw each other, and when we did, it made for brief, awkward conversation. Father took Lu Ten's death as an opportunity. After the palace's period of mourning, father scheduled a family meeting with Fire Lord Azulon. I had to perform for the old bag, which I wasn't really interested in doing, but I took it as another chance to upstage Zuko, so I became more than happy to entertain him. After my performance, I remember father saying I was a prodigy. Zuko just had to be dramatic and try to prove his worth by demonstrating his firebending. He only embarrassed himself, but mother ran over to him and coddled him, as usual," she said with a look of annoyance on her face. The girl was somewhat awed by the life she was revealing.

"Fire Lord Azulon's patience had run its course, so he dismissed us so he could talk to father in private. Zuko and I didn't leave, we just hid behind a curtain to hear the conversation. Based on the past conversations I eavesdropped on between father and grandpa, and I could tell that they didn't really like each other. But this conversation beat them all. Father proposed that grandpa give him to right to throne, as Iroh's bloodline had ended with Lu Ten, and with no heir, he wasn't fit to be Fire Lord. Grandpa became enraged by the thought of betraying Iroh. Zuko ran away to mother before the conversation got interesting, but for his own sake he should have stayed. Grandpa said that father must know the pain of losing a firstborn by killing Zuko," she explained as the girl gasped.

"Father bowed and said he would do as grandpa wished. I took this as the chance to mess with Zuko again, so I went into his room and told him about the conversation. He didn't believe me, and I didn't care. Little love developed between Zuko and I, as you can see, so his presence wouldn't really be that missed to me. But things didn't turn out as planned. I woke up early the next day to find mother missing and the palace abuzz. I went to go see father and asked him what happened. He revealed that mother had been banished, and that grandpa had passed away. It wouldn't be until years later that I would learn what had really happened, but all I needed to know then was that grandpa's last will was to appoint father as Fire Lord. Father's coronation was one of the happiest days of my life. That day, I became Crown Princess Azula," she revealed as she stood straight up and stared at the wall.

"The years after that were pure bliss. With no mother to hold me back, I was able to fully realize my potential. When I was eleven, Zuko was exiled after disgracing father in a war meeting. Father than appointed me as his heir. He told me that being a second born himself, he understood the struggles I've gone through, and said that I had earned my right to the throne a long time ago. Father took me personally under his wing, and I couldn't have been happier. But even then I felt heartache. Master Kaizu was most likely the only firebender alive who could generate blue flame, and he passed on the secret to me when I turned twelve. I remember how amazed and impressed father was, and how proud Kaizu was. But shortly after that, Master Kaizu passed away in his sleep. I had never been so sad in my entire life. But father filled the gap and he became my new Firebending Master. He taught me how to be ruthless and strategic, and to strike down my opponent first and not hold back. He even taught me to create lightning. When I turned thirteen, he deemed me a Firebending Master," she said as she smiled and sat back on the bed.

"A year later, after the Siege of the North, Father sent me away to capture Zuko and Uncle, and you pretty much know the rest of the story," she said as she turned and faced the girl. They just stared at each other for a time before the girl spoke.

"Azula, wow. I had no idea…that was some story," the girl said as she smiled slightly. She didn't smile back.

"So, did you learn anything, or was this all pointless like I originally thought it would be?" she asked sarcastically.

"Yes, actually, I did," the girl said as she stood up.

"Really? And what did we learn today?" she asked with sharp cynicism.

"I understand your trust and perfection problems. You experienced little love in your childhood from both your mother and brother, and your father only dispensed praise and affection as long as you did things his way perfectly, so you developed into a perfectionist. And because your mother, your world, was stolen from you at an early age, and because your father's love was so conditional, you learned not to be dependant on people, which eventually shaped into a fear of dependence and an inability to trust people," the girl explained with a tone of pity.

She sat on her bed and hugged her knees. She thought about her life, and realized that the girl had made a valid conclusion.

"It's not that I have a fear of dependence, it's just that I _can't_ depend on people. I can only depend on myself. And even if that were somehow a problem, I wouldn't even know how to fix it. Independence just comes too naturally to me," she stated in agitation.

The girl walked over and sat down next to her.

"Well, I never said it was going to be easy to change," she said through a smile. She just looked at the girl, then quickly looked away.

"But don't worry. We can fix it together," the girl finished, sounding hopeful. She didn't respond to the girl, but cracked a slight smile. She could feel that things were starting to look up.


	5. Forgiveness

**Chapter Five: Forgiveness**

Dropping a breadcrumb into the pond, Mai watched without expression as the turtle-ducks furiously fought over the morsel of food. Ravaged with boredom, Mai lay down on the lush grass and looked up at the intricately shaped clouds, looking for a semblance of a simple, geometric shape. Suddenly, the serenity of her sky-search was interrupted by the looming sound of a familiar voice. Rising from the ground, Mai found the girl before her.

"Bored?" the girl asked, sounding as though she already knew the answer.

"Of course," Mai returned dryly.

"I hope that means you're up for something not boring," the girl replied as she placed her hands on her hips. Mai's face revealed her curiosity as she stepped closer to the girl.

"Depends. What qualifies as not boring to you?" Mai questioned with sarcasm as she smiled. The girl did not return a smile.

Her head and arms hanging off the bed, she stared with irritation at the ceiling of her cell. The constant milieu of the four walls around her was like the taunting stare of fate spitting in her face, humiliating a former icon of glory and regality. At that moment, she heard a knock at her door, and she rose to her feet in response. In walked the girl with a nervous look on her face. Moving loose hair behind her ears, the girl walked up to her and offered a brief smile.

"So, so. What do you have planned for this evening's festivities?" She asked cynically as she crossed her arms and leaned against her bed. Her demeanor quickly changed as Mai walked into the room. Her face expressed longing and sorrow, but her eyes depicted anger, hurt, and animosity. Mai slowly glided closer to her with only a blank stare. Looking her up and down, Mai finally grimaced.

"You look terrible," Mai said as she turned her nose slightly up in the air. She glared at Mai with feral wrath and put her hands into fists, squeezing them tightly. Steam was rising from her fists, matching the temper she was quickly loosing control of. The girl read her body language and realized she was ready to attack Mai. The girl stepped between the two, pushing Mai back with her hand.

"Azula, calm down!" the girl ordered with annoyance. She turned her unrelenting gaze upon the girl, and the heat she was summoning from her hands erupted into full-fledged blue fire.

"What are you doing here? So eager to die so young, are you?" she muttered like a hiss. With a flick of the wrist, Mai pulled out three shurikens from her sleeve while remaining silent. The girl dropped her arms and turned to face her.

"Mai is only here to talk, Azula. That's all," the girl said, sounding frustrated. The fire raging from her fists dimmed a bit, then went out all together. It was clear that she was still irate, but she was more in control of herself.

"Please. How much did you pay her to come here?" she asked sarcastically, still staring daggers at Mai.

"Four Silver Pieces," Mai returned, smiling slightly. She clenched her jaw and growled slightly as she tried to leap at Mai, but the girl held her back by grabbing her. She turned and looked at the girl with a wrathful gaze.

"Non the less, she's here. And we're going to talk," assured the girl, placing her hands gently on her shoulders. She relaxed only slightly.

"And talk about what exactly? There's nothing that needs to be discussed," she stated with harsh confidence. Mai glared for a moment, then turned toward the door. Before Mai could walk out, the girl put her hand on Mai's arm.

"Where are you going?" the girl questioned with an earnest tone. Mai looked sadly at the girl.

"I just can't do this…I just can't talk to her," Mai replied as she looked down. The girl closed her eyes and shook her head.

"Wait. Both of you need to hear each other out. This isn't about trust or understanding. It's about forgiveness," the girl said, looking back and forth between the two arguing girls. Mai looked at her to find her looking back. She was glaring, but it wasn't a glare of hate, it was a glare of reluctant compromise. The girl relaxed and took a moment to compose herself.

"When one of you talks, the other will listen. Nothing more," the girl stated with authority.

"Azula, you go first," the girl said, staring at Mai to note her reactions. She thought for a moment as she sat down on her bed. Looking back up at Mai, she found that she couldn't look her in the eye. Turning away, she began to speak.

"Mai, how could you? How could you betray me?" she struggled to say. She then sighed and rolled her eyes. Realizing she had nothing left to loose, she began to reveal all.

"How could you do that to me? I thought we understood each other! I…" she yelled, unable to finish her sentence. Her voice lowered almost to a whisper.

"I thought we were…friends," she said in monotone. Mai looked shocked for a moment, but shock was suddenly replaced by anger.

"Friends? FRIENDS? You dominated me through fear! There's nothing friendly about that! Ever since I met you, you installed fear into me so I would heed your every word! The only reason you care about me betraying you is because someone finally stood up to you! You don't care about me. You don't care about me at all," Mai said in passionate anger.

"And why should I? You just admitted yourself that you never actually liked me! It's clear now that friendship was just hopeful wishing on my part. You want forgiveness? Well forgive me. Forgive me for being naïve," she said as she bowed in an act of spite.

"You know what? I'm actually sorry. I'm sorry that you can't get past your pride long enough to admit when you made a mistake," Mai said as she turned and proceeded to walk out the door. She stared at Mai as she walked away. It felt as though time had stood still as she searched through her thoughts for answers. Finally, she felt something within her let go, like something had released her. A tear rolled down her cheek as se got off the bed. Mai was halfway down the corridor before she yelled.

"Mai! Wait!" she screamed as she ran towards the door to her cell. Mai turned around to hear what she had to say.

"I tried searching my heart for a part of me that's sorry for what I did. And you know what I realized? I'm not sorry. I wouldn't take back what I did for a moment," she said sternly. Mai appeared irritated.

"But my time in this prison has given me clarity on some of my actions. I've done some bad things, things that I should be apologizing for, and for whatever reason, I can't yet. But I do know I should be," she said, still looking at the floor. She looked up at Mai and glared. Turning away from her, Mai thought on her words for a moment.

"Well, when you are sorry, don't bother asking for my forgiveness," Mai said, looking at her through the corner of her eye. A pause of words ensued.

"I forgave you a long time ago. Katara's right. It's about forgiveness. But you don't need mine. You need forgiveness from _yourself_ for your mistakes," Mai finished, walking away until she was out of sight. She found herself tongue-tied, unable to speak. Pushing Mai's words from her mind, she turned toward the girl.

"Well? Where do we go from here?" she inquired to the girl with a look of concern.

"Come on. We have places to go," the girl said vaguely.

"What do you mean places?" she asked with bewilderment. The girl only waved her hand, signaling her to follow. Before she walked past the guards, they crossed their spears together, blocking her path.

"Is there a reason you're in my way, or are you in a joking mood this evening?" she said with sharp wit and authority.

"I'm sorry, Princess. You…uh…can't leave…please don't hurt me, I'm only doing my job," a guard said with a quivering voice.

"It's okay. The Fire Lord has given me the authority to move the prisoner. I'll take it from here," the girl replied to the guard with an assuring tone. The guards bowed, and the girl escorted her out of the prison. Waiting outside was the Avatar's flying sky bison, referred to commonly as Appa. As the girl hopped on the creature, she offered her hand to her in aid.

"Where are we going on the bison?" she asked in strong skepticism.

"We're going to see a friend," the girl replied with a smile. She took the girl's hand and jumped onto Appa. After the girl shouted "yipp, yipp," the sky bison took off into the air.

A few hours later, high in the sky, she sat in thought with the wind blowing through her lengthy hair. Still not clear with the purpose of the flight, she broke the silence.

"So, why is Ty Lee on Kyoshi Island?" she questioned, sounding bored.

"After the war, Ty Lee joined the Kyoshi Warriors," the girl returned, shouting over the rushing air.

"Oh…them…great," she said with sarcasm.

As they drew close to the Island, she began to feel unsure. She didn't know what she would say to Ty Lee when she saw her again, but she hoped that Ty Lee wouldn't be as angry as Mai.

Swooping down with silent grace, Appa landed in the outskirts of the town. The duo hopped off Appa and proceeded forward. Not even ten steps from the bison, she stopped the girl in her tracks.

"Wait. Someone's watching us," she said with cold certainty. Suddenly from behind the trees and bushes, a dozen female warriors adorned in green kimonos, brown plate armor and geisha like make-up sprung out in front of the two girls.

"We've got trouble guys. Princess Azula's here!" one of the Kyoshi Warriors shouted. The same warrior pulled out her golden fan, and with a flick of her wrist, hurled the weapon at her.

With impressive agility, she executed a middle split, ducking under the razor-sharp fan while simultaneously attacking the Kyoshi Warriors with a large burst of blue flame summoned from a punching motion. The group put their shields together, forming a phalanx like unit, but the concussive force of the flame sent the warriors flying, a side-effect of her fire's ability to superheat the air.

As two more warriors attacked her, she maneuvered into a roundhouse double kick from her middle split, sending wide arcs of azure fire towards the warriors. They tried in vain to use their shields for protection, but they too were sent airborne by the force of her fire. The fight would have continued if not for the intervention of the girl, who summoned a massive wall of water between her and the warriors with a few graceful, fluid movements.

"Stop attacking! Azula isn't here to fight!" the girl said with sternness. The warriors just looked back and forth at each other, unsure of whether or not to continue their assault. At that instant from the same bushes came the group's leader, the Kyoshi Warrior named Suki.

"Not that it's not nice to see you, Katara, but what is her business than? I mean, you can understand why we attacked, right? This is Princess Azula we're talking about, after all," explained Suki with a hint of astonishment.

"We only need to speak to Ty Lee," the girl answered as she released her hold on the wall of water, causing it to fall harmlessly to the ground in a splash.

"But, um…how is she even here? Isn't she a…criminal?" Suki inquired with uncertainty.

"Yes she is, but I'm trying to help her. I didn't mean to cause such a commotion," the girl replied, sounding friendly. Although she was certainly aware of her legal status, she had to admit it hurt to hear she was a criminal out loud. It was almost the antithesis of the tiles she was familiar with. Prodigy. Princess. Heir to the Throne. Dominator. These were titles of familiarity, not this criminal business. She could feel her stomach turn as she repeated the repulsive word in her head. _I'm a criminal, I'm a criminal, I'm a criminal_…her mind was set upon this horrible truth, sickening her.

"I suppose it's okay, I mean if you can vowge for her," Suki stated, rubbing the back of neck, unsure of her decision. Suki called out Ty Lee's name, and from a distance, the sound of someone cheering in glee echoed in the air. In the blink of an eye, a Kyoshi Warrior jumped from a treetop, performing a double front tuck, and as she landed, the warrior executed a round off, finishing off with a back handspring, landing right next to Suki.

"Hey Suki! Is there something you…" The acrobatic Ty Lee started to say. Mouth wide open in shock, she stared at her, unable to comprehend the sight before her.

"Azula?" Ty Lee said in disbelief.

"We'll just give you guys some privacy. Good luck," Suki said as she motioned the other Kyoshi warriors to leave. A moment later, the three were alone, all awestruck.

Looking upon Ty Lee, she almost didn't recognize her in her Kyoshi Warrior uniform. But she was happy to see that Ty Lee didn't seem particularly upset, just a bit shocked.

"Azula, is that really you? How come you're not in prison. I thought you were a criminal!" Ty Lee exclaimed with loud inflections in her voice. She rolled her eyes with annoyance.

"Yes, I'm a criminal. I'm pretty sure we've already established that," she replied in a rush of frustration. The girl stepped up closer to Ty Lee.

"I know you're probably a bit shocked to find Azula here, but I'm trying to help Azula change. And she's going to need your help, also," the girl said to Ty Lee.

"But how can I help?" Ty Lee said with a distant look.

"Right now, you just need to listen. Azula has something she has to say," the girl said with a smile, simplifying her words for the ditsy Ty Lee. The girl nudged her, forcing her forward, bring her and Ty Lee closer. She hesitated to speak for a moment, but then found her words.

"I understand that you don't really want to talk to me right now. I also understand that what I did to you was a bit uncalled for. But I want you to know I understand if you can never forgive me. So…that's really all I have to say. You know me, I'm not one for such intimate conversations," she said as she crossed her arms, looking out to the horizon instead of into Ty Lee's eyes. Suddenly, Ty Lee embraced her in a fierce hug, picking her up off the ground in the process. After the hug, Ty Lee placed her hands on her shoulders and looked at her straight in the eye.

"If that's your version of an apology, I forgive you!" Ty Lee said with enthusiasm. She could only express disbelief.

"But, how can you forgive me without even a second thought?" she asked, taken back by Ty Lee's response.

"Because. I value our friendship over holding grudges, in part because grudges weaken your aura! But mostly, I'm glad that you're trying to change, and that's reason enough for me to forgive you!" Ty Lee responded with a bright smile and a twinkle in her eye.

Ty Lee then proceeded to hug her again. Before long, she placed a hand on Ty Lee's back, patting it, not quite hugging Ty Lee back, but attempting to show her gratitude. Katara shook her head and smiled, pleased with the sight.

After a few good-byes to the Kyoshi Warriors, the two girls left on Appa, feeling strangely relieved. Staring at the Island, she watched as the strip of land became smaller and smaller until finally it was out of sight. Hugging her knees, she smiled to herself, but forced the smile away before the girl would notice.

"Back to prison, I suppose?" she questioned, raising her voice to be heard over the passing winds.

"Not quite. We have one more stop," the girl answered.

"Where are we off to, then?" she asked with a more pleasant tone.

"Ember Island," the girl returned, whipping the reigns, causing the bison to fly faster.

Appa landed on the beach of Ember Island, with the waves pounding into the shore with an aria of relaxing and rhythmic sounds. The girls jumped off Appa, landing on the smooth, cold sand, with the setting sun shining its remaining light in the west. Before them stood a lavish beach house, enormous in structure. She felt her stomach drop at the familiar sight.

"Why are we at my Family's beach house?" she asked, not sure if she wanted to know the answer.

"You'll just have to go inside and find out for yourself," the girl answered, her hair flying over her face from the evening air dancing past her.

Taking one last look into the purple and orange sunset sky, she took a deep breath and walked into the beach house. Wandering through, she felt the haunting presence of benevolent memories stained on every section of the house. As she came to the parlor, she felt her heart skip a beat and her stomach drop, matching the feelings of her world collapsing before. On a sofa sat a woman, staring out the window at the flora surrounding the house.

As her foot caused the floor to creak, the woman turned around to reveal her features. She had eyes of intense amber-gold, and beautiful, silky dark hair, similar to her own. The woman's hair was prim and nicely done, with a topknot on top of her head. Holding the topknot in place was a hairpiece of unmistakable design, appearing to be a flame. The woman's face showed surprise upon the sight of her.

"Mother?"


	6. The Heart of the Matter

**Chapter Six: The Heart of the Matter**

She could feel her body heat rising by the second. Her mind, cluttered with thoughts, was spinning like a hurricane, and she began to feel lightheaded. Her breathing-rate increased a bit, but she didn't notice. Clenching her jaw tightly, she stared in awe at the woman standing before her.

"Azula! My daughter! I thought I'd never see you again!" the woman said, rising to her feet. She stepped back from the woman in disgust.

"Please! You can stop right there," she said with sadistic aggression. The woman clearly took offense to this, as her smile faded to a frown.

"You don't have to pretend to have missed me. I know what you really think about me," she finished just as coldly. The woman moved an errant strand of hair away from her face and tucked it behind her ear.

"And what exactly do I think about you?" the woman questioned, her voice revealing her pain.

"I'm not going into this. Not again," she responded as she turned to leave the room.

"Have a nice life, Ursa. You seem to be doing well, so far," she said as she attempted to make her exit. Before she could leave, the woman grabbed her arm.

"Azula, please, I love-," the woman tried to say until she was interrupted.

"DON'T!" she growled as she pulled her arm away from the woman. The woman nearly fell over from the act.

"Don't. Even. Speak!" she demanded in fury. The woman's face expressed sorrow and a bit of fear.

"You don't love me. You never have," she said, not looking the woman in the eye. She was distant, like she was watching the scene play out instead of being part of it. The woman, however, was present and attentive with certain stubbornness.

"Why would you think that? I love you Azula, I do. I love you more than life itself. You're my little sun and stars, remember?" the woman said, half in tears. Hearing her mother say that almost broke her heart. When she first learned to firebend, her mother commented on her talents. Her mother jokingly said that she burned with the intensity of the sun and all the stars in the sky. Ever since, the woman referred to her daughter as her little sun and stars.

What really hurt her about the nickname was that it was misleading. Her mother never actually liked the fact that she was so naturally talented at firebending. With this painful memory being thrown back in her face, she knew she couldn't hold back any longer.

"YOU NEVER LOVED ME! STOP PRETENDING!" she yelled with conviction and wrath.

"YOU LOVED ZUKO, NOT ME! YOU THOUGHT I WAS A MONSTER!" she continued as she felt her eyes become damp.

"Azula, please, that isn't true!" the woman pleaded, reaching out to her daughter.

"DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH THAT HURT? DO YOU KNOW WHAT IT FELT LIKE TO KNOW YOUR OWN MOTHER HATED YOU?" she yelled, her voice cracking. Tears were flowing from her face like raindrops. The woman didn't know how to respond.

"DO YOU KNOW WHAT THAT DID TO ME?" she asked in rage, feeling as though she would explode in anger.

"YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT YOU CAUSED MOTHER. BUT YOU'LL FIND OUT!" she screamed, her whole body stiff. As she said this, all the candles in the room grew enormously and turned bright blue. They were scorching the ceiling, the sudden rush of heat in he room causing a large sonic boom.

With a few rushed and precise movements by her arms, the flames in the room came toward her, clashing together in a large fireball. Spinning, the fire followed her, and with a punching motion, she sent an astronomical burst of flame toward her mother's direction. The woman ducked under the blast with surprising grace and agility. The flames went crashing into the wall, pulverizing the wall in a loud and bright explosion.

In a flurry of movement, she unleashed the full effect of her firebending, sending torrents of fire in every direction, burning the room in an azure glow and blazing heat. Finally, she finished her onslaught with a long, graceful kata. Appearing as though she were dancing with a certain rigid finesse, electricity began appearing before her. It grew larger and larger, following her fingers like her willing pawn. Pointing her two fingers at the ceiling, she released the built up electrical energy. From her fingertips came a large bolt of lightning, destroying the ceiling and ascending into the cloudy night sky. The force of the thunder was so powerful, all the furniture went rushing violently in random directions. The woman was sent flying directly into a wall, and groaned in pain.

Heaving, she stood there in silent tears for a while, staring at her mother. The woman looked up at her daughter, her mouth wide-open in awe and fear. Rising from her feet, the woman walked over to her daughter with difficulty, and attempted to embrace her. She stepped back again, and pointed her fingers at her mother, a spurt of electricity flying from them. The woman raised her arms in surrender, but stared directly into her daughter's eyes with a stern face.

Suddenly, she collapsed to her knees before her mother. She was so angry, so emotionally distraught, she found it impossible to stand, and breathing was becoming more difficult as well. She began heaving faster and faster, placing her hand to her chest. The woman bent down and put her hands on her daughter's shoulders.

"Oh my daughter, what have I done? What have I done?" the woman cried in sorrow as her daughter sobbed in madness. Looking to her mother, she glared with deep-rooted anger.

"I should have showed you more love. I should have been there for you. Azula, I'm so sorry. From the bottom of my heart, to the pit of my soul, I am sorry, Azula. You have every right in the world to hate me," the woman said, struggling through tears.

"Mother, I'm so angry! I'm angry…all the time! I'm…I'm so hurt! I feel…like my heart is…burning away!" she struggled to say through heavy breaths. She felt like she was losing control over her body.

"I could say that I'm sorry until the end of eternity, but I know you could never forgive me for what I've done to you," the woman cried as she hugged her daughter tightly. Upon this embrace, she began crying and coughing loudly, unable to assimilate words.

"But I want you to know something, Azula. I love you. Did you hear me? I love YOU. I never want to you to question that ever again!" the woman cried as she brushed her daughter's hair with her hands. Finally, she hugged her mother back. It was a crushing hug, a hug so full of love it could melt even the coldest of hearts.

"Mother! I love you, too! I love you too," she cried heavily, sobbing into her mother's dress. The woman closed her eyes and smiled brightly, tears of joy and sadness streaming down her cheeks. She continued sobbing into her mother's dress as her mother stroked her daughter's hair and rocked her side to side.

"It's okay. Shh, it's okay, Azula. I'm here. I'm here now," the woman said as she tried to stop her own crying. Suddenly, she pulled away from her mother and began shaking uncontrollably with short breaths. It was clear at that point that she was having an anxiety attack.

"I can't…breath…it hurts…need air…I need…air!" she heaved in a panic. Pulling her daughter off the ground, she began walking her outside through the side of the room her daughter destroyed.

"Easy now. It's okay, we'll get you some air," the woman said with a maternal tone as she directed her daughter outside. As they stepped onto the cold sand of the beach, she left her mother and walked rigidly towards to ocean. Trying to calm herself down, she focused on her environment.

She listened to the rustling of the palm tress, the crashing of the ocean waves, the coldness of the night air. Suddenly, she felt a drop of cold on her nose. Opening her eyes and touching her nose, she discovered a speck of water. Looking to the sky, she heard thunder echo in the distance, and with a flash of lightning, rain came falling from the heavens.

The rainfall became heavy, but she didn't mind. The cold, purifying feeling of the rain was welcomed to her. Because her body heat was so high, the rain evaporated promptly as it hit her. With steam rising from her body, she raised her arms to the sky as a streak of lightning dashed across the clouds. With a loud and startling roll of thunder, she began smiling and crying at the same time.

Feeling as though she were being cleansed, she came to a revelation. The thing that had caused her so much pain, the inevitable cause of her mental collapse, the heart of the matter, was the uncertain love of her mother. Realizing she was wrong, and that her mother did love her, she felt like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. It was almost like rebirth.

Back in the beach house, water mysteriously came through the destroyed room, extinguishing the intense flames. From the hall emerged the girl with a bright smile on her face and a tear or two, moving her arms with angelic grace and fluidity to motion the water to stop the fires.

As the fires ceased, the girl walked up to the mother and placed a sympathetic hand on her should. The woman looked back at the girl as she wiped away a tear, smiling as well. The two set their sights on her, still with her arms raised towards the sky.

Dropping her arms, she put her wet hair behind her ears. Feeling an uncontrollable happiness erupting from her soul, she leaped into the air. Dancing, spinning, leaping, and frolicking in the rain, she let the rain wash away her sorrows and vendettas, her pains and regrets, and ultimately, her hate. That moment, that moment in the rain, that moment on the beach, that moment she shared with the girl and her mother, would forever be the most beautiful moment of her life.


	7. The Sandcastle

**Chapter Seven: The Sandcastle**

Waking to the smell of warm, baked delicacies, the girl ventured from her long and fruitful sleep to the kitchen. There, standing over a large cauldron, was the woman, hard at work preparing a breakfast for her houseguests. The woman looked up from her toil and offered a smile, and the feeling of a new day shined in her golden eyes. The girl shot back a generous smile as the woman walked up to the girl and gave her a hug.

"Thank you for letting me handle Azula. I just felt like it was something I had to do on my own," the woman said, gratitude expressed in her words.

"And thank you, Ursa. Azula really needed this," the girl said as she stepped back and bowed in respect to the woman. The woman returned the action, still smiling. Her smile quickly faded, however. She went back to her cauldron and turned the rice with a large spoon with a distant expression on her face.

"Please. Tell me. What happened to my daughter?" the woman said woefully. The girl's face also began to express sadness.

"Well, between the pressure for perfection placed by a father, the expectation to rule a nation at such a young age, the loss of friends, intense jealousy towards a brother, and the feeling of abandonment by a mother, I think I'd go a little crazy too," the girl answered solemnly.

"I know this is all my fault. I wish things had gone differently that night, but I had no choice," the woman revealed with a tone of regret in her words.

"If you don't mind me asking, what actually happened that night?" the girl inquired with curiosity. The woman immediately stopped churning the rice. Refraining from looking the girl in the eye in favor for staring at the floor, the woman began to tell her story.

"Ozai was ordered by Azulon to kill Zuko. I couldn't…I wouldn't let that happen," the woman said as her body became tense.

"Azula doesn't get her methodic personality from just Ozai," the woman said with a conviction similarly expressed by her daughter.

"I knew Ozai wanted the throne. It really wasn't that hard. I sneaked into Azulon's room that night. I'd rather not go into detail…but Azulon had two choices. Name Ozai his successor, or die. Obviously, he chose wisely. But I had to…get rid of him anyway. It was part of the plan. I had to do it to save Zuko. But because of what I did, I had to leave. If they ever found out I killed Azulon…. I had no choice," the woman said, a tear rolling down her cheek.

"It's strange. Ozai actually sought me out before I left to say goodbye…but that was years ago. It's all just a part of the past, now," the woman finished, wiping away her tear. The girl was bewildered, still left with unanswered questioned.

"From what I heard, Azulon was the most powerful firebender of his time. How did you…you know," the girl asked shyly.

"Katara. I'm sure you've noticed. No one in the royal family is to be underestimated," the woman answered without feeling or emotion. The girl only gulped, realizing the truth in the woman's words.

Waking up abruptly, she found her senses overloaded, like someone waking from a coma. She sat up and groaned from the grogginess and slight headache, blankets spread about her on the bed she was on. Next to the bed on a perpendicular wall was a large mirror. Gazing into it, she found herself in disbelief. For the first time in many months, it was no longer a struggle to look in the mirror. Looking down towards her lap, she discovered she was no longer wearing her prison uniform, just some new undergarments.

She tried to recall the events from the night before, but she found it difficult. She could only remember the coldness of the rain and the feeling of bliss. She smiled slightly to herself, but her smile faded when reality came crashing back once more. With everything that had taken place prior to that morning, only awkward conversation could result.

"Here we go," she said as she ruffled her hair and proceeded downstairs to the kitchen.

As she made her entrance, the girl and the woman exchanged worried looks before they greeted her.

"Good morning Azula. Did you sleep well?" the girl asked, obviously forcing a cheery disposition.

"Yea, sure. Um…you got appleberry juice?" she inquired with indifference. The girl couldn't help but giggle.

"Of course…" the woman replied proceeding a long awkward silence.

"Azula, can I talk to you alone for a moment?" the woman asked her daughter. The two exited the kitchen to chat without the presence of the girl.

"Listen, I was wondering if you wanted to go into town to shop. We could catch up. I know I still have a lot to explain to you," the woman said, sounding humble and calm. She petted her hair as she thought over her mother's request.

"Well, I do need some new clothes…" she answered half-heartedly. The woman smiled and briefly put her hand on her shoulder in response, then proceeded to walk back into the kitchen.

Feeling the urge to talk to the girl, she went to the kitchen as well but discovered she had left. Searching through the house, she was haunted by a ghost of sorts, a ghost of the past, each little section of the precipice exuding its own little memory. Each memory stabbed into her heart as she searched for the girl. Finally, she found the girl sitting on the porch, gazing at the mighty waves as they crashed onto the shore. Tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear, she crossed her arms and leaned against the porch's railing.

"So. Ursa is taking me shopping. You realize my feelings on heart to hearts, don't you?" she said as she examined her fingernails for any trace of dirt. The girl looked up at her with a curious expression.

"I would appreciate it if you would act as my crutch for this little outing," she insisted, flipping her hair in a carefree manner in an attempt to hide her worry.

"I'd like that. I've been needing to go shopping for some time now," the girl responded, rising up from the floor to be on a more even footing with her. The two remained silent for a while, simply staring off in a trance like state at the dancing waves.

"I can hardly believe how much the sandcastle hasn't changed, despite the fact that everything else is completely different now," she said in a mumble, not intending for the girl to hear.

"The sandcastle?" the girl asked, not fully understanding.

"When I was little, we would come to Ember Island every summer. I didn't like the idea of staying in an old beach house, so father told me to think of it more as a sandcastle, a palace away from home," she said, patting a lock of hair as if it were a momento of the childhood memory.

The girl looked at her with an inborn reaction of pity.

"You still love your father, don't you?" the girl asked, fearing that she was digging a bit too deep.

"Yes. Very much," she replied almost in monotone. She looked away, but then turned back to the girl with a wicked smile on her face.

"Let's go get ready for this fun shopping expedition, shall we?" she asked, sounding more like a demand. The girl nodded with a smile in return, and the two were off towards their rooms to get dressed.

Adorned in new clothes, she entered the beach house holding a bag full of groceries. Her mother and the girl were trailing behind her, still unloading their purchases from the day off the makeshift cart they made out of Appa. Looking in the mirror in the foyer, she studied her attire. It showed more skin than she usually preferred, revealing her strong forearms, her flat and toned stomach, and her muscular, svelte legs. It was also a bit brighter than what she normally wore, abundant with flaring red and gold, almost no trace of black. A majority of her arms were covered in gold, gauntlet like bangles, and her shirt had the familiar design of the armor she normally wore. She wore baggy, knee-length trousers with a flowing skirt the same length parted three ways overtop. Her new shoes were simple and gold with a swooping end.

She ran her fingers through her hair as though to comb it and sighed. She hadn't felt like putting her hair up into her trademark hairstyle. For some reason, she felt like she needed to earn the right to carry herself like that again, so she left her hair as is. Before she could criticize herself any further, she was interrupted by a sudden noise.

Walking about the house carefully, not even making a sound on the creaky floorboards, she searched for the source of the noise. Walking past the room she thoroughly destroyed, her stomach dropped abruptly. Standing with his back turned, she had the misfortune to find her brother before her, looking urgently for something.

Suddenly noticing her presence, he turned around with a surprised look on his face. She simply stood cool and calm, still holding the groceries in her hand. His expression changed from shock to hatred in a matter of seconds, and the two stared each other down. She didn't even blink, glaring with resolve. She knew he wanted to attack her. She also knew she wouldn't start the fight, but would most certainly end it.

Taking a deep breath and relaxing a bit, he closed his eyes, still apparently angry. She still didn't falter in her stance, waiting for his absolute reactions. Like a rapid mood swing, he stiffened up again. Throwing a punch, a fierce ball of searing fire came hurling towards her.

Dropping her groceries, she executed a back roll to dodge the fireball. She hopped back on her feet, sliding a bit in the process. With her two fingers, she launched an attack of her own, sending a whisp of blue condensed flame at her attacker. He performed a sweep kick as he ducked, sending an arc of fire to her feet. Jumping up in the air, she maneuvered into an axe-kick, summoning a quick bolt of fire to him.

This dance of fire and fury continued through out the room until with one deft move, he sent a large blast of fire towards her, which she managed to block. This blast was more powerful than she expected, and it sent her flying out the hole on the side of the house towards the beach. Kicking her legs up in the air and pushing off the sandy ground with her hands, she landed back on her feet. Her hair was in a fine frenzy across her face, and with a quick huff she blew the strands away from her eyes. Although it wasn't her most concerning thought at the moment, she realized that the one thing she had never lost in the last few months was her style.

He came running onto the beach directly at her with full force, his arms out stretched behind him in a fist. From his fist came jets of fire he used for extra propulsion, making him almost glide over the sand. She could only smile on the inside. Despite his current status, she knew that he still didn't have the raw fire power she did, and knew to use it as an advantage. With a quick downward jab as he was a few inches from her face, she flew into the air like a rocket for a short amount of time. Executing a full twist over his head, she landed on the ground with stunning grace, causing the sand to shuffle into the air in a dust cloud. Blowing blistering hot air from her mouth towards the sand, she managed to make the dust cloud bigger. Firebending required intense control of breath, and she certainly had control. The dust cloud was blinding, and soon the siblings couldn't see each other.

Keeping his stance, he took the defensive, waiting for sudden motions in the world of sand surrounding him. He couldn't help but feel the resolve churning in his stomach when fighting his sister. But the crown currently placed on his head made him feel the confidence he needed to detain his deadly sister.

Before he knew it, blue fire surrounded him from all directions, coiling around him like a lethal rat viper. With a long full body movement, he used his own fire to redirect the blue fire outwards, along with the sand cloud. Once again exposed to the full environment of the beach, he turned to see his sister coming at him.

The fight once again became close combat, with short bursts of fire and many exchanges of skin to skin. Both were determined to win. Finally, both jumped into the air and executed round house kicks charged with their respective fires. As their attack landed directly into each other, a brilliant flash of white strained their vision, and an incredible wave of energy pushed both scrappers backwards at intense speeds. He landed hard into the trunk of a palm tree, and she landed into the porch of the beach house. Both were out of breath and out of patience.

The woman came running onto the beach, anger clearly displayed on her flawless face. The girl also came along, plagued with worry and doubt.

"Zuko, Azula, for heaven's sake stop this senseless fighting!" the woman ordered with regal fierceness. As she got up with the girl's help, he stood up immediately with ferocity and rage.

"What in the world is she doing here? Why is Azula walking around freely? Do you realize she's crazy? And Katara what the heck is wrong with you? Are you aware I've placed wanted posters of you around the fire nation? One of you answer me!" he demanded, his voice cracking slightly.

"Zuko, I'm sorry! I forgot to tell you I was taking Azula to Ember Island," the girl answered nervously.

"Forgot? How did you forget you had illegally moved a prisoner from the capital city?" he questioned with complete bewilderment.

"Well you said I could do whatever I thought was necessary to help Azula," she replied with a shrug.

"I didn't know you'd find it necessary to execute a Prison Break!" he yelled with aggravation.

"Zuko, please calm down. It's not Katara's fault. Please come inside so I can explain things," the woman said, her voice seeming to calm the air of the intense moment.

"Mother….ugh, fine. But she stays outside," pointing to her as though she were a third party. She could only stare at him. For once in her life, she didn't feel the need to add her two cents in the situation. He, the girl, and the woman left for the privacy of the beach house interior as she sat starring at the culminating sunset. She patted her hair once again in confirmation that she was in one piece. For some reason, she felt like she had done something wrong.

"I just don't see why she needs to be here. She's dangerous!" he yelled to the girl. While the girl knew of his status as Fire Lord, she could only take so much of his raised voice before her natural self-righteousness kicked in.

"Zuko, YOU asked ME to help HER! And I'm doing just that. I thought bringing her to her mother would help, and guess what? It did! You need to put your personal feelings aside for the betterment of all of us!" she reasoned with strong conviction.

"Oh yea, you sure helped her. Helped her blow a hole in the wall!" he added sarcastically.

"Enough! Zuko, Katara, regardless of what you both think, I want Azula to stay here with me. I just got my daughter back and I'm not giving up on her again," the woman said as she smashed her fist into the table, leaving a hole in the wooden furniture. Both teenagers could only stare blankly at the woman, both stricken with a little fear.

"Sorry. Look, Zuko please. As a mother, I am compelled to trust my maternal instincts, and they're telling me I need Azula here with me. I would think you could understand that," the woman pleaded earnestly. He looked his mother in the eye, and realized the value of her words.

"Okay, mother. I'll trust you," he said. After a few moments of silence, the three departed ways awkwardly. The girl headed back to the beach, now blackened with the blanket of stars and space. She was still there, leaned up against the porch, staring up at the sky.

"Hey," the girl said as she sat down next to her.

"Hey," she returned emotionlessly.

"We've decided that it's best you stay here with your mother. Of course this is completely up to you."

"No, I think staying here is what's best. For now."

"Okay. But I can't stay with you,"

She looked at the girl dead in the eye, almost as though she were sad. The girl couldn't be sure of her reaction though.

"I've done all I can do. And I have a life of my own to get back to, " the girl said as the cold night wind blew through her wavy hair. She could only stare for a few moments, but realized a response was appropriate.

"Of course! Of course, I understand," she said with a light forced laugh. Both laughed awkwardly, leaving a long pause afterwards.

"I'm…..ugh….thank you." She said, surprisingly serious.

"Azula, you may not know it, but you're worth it," the girl said with a smile.

Taking a deep breath, she daringly and unusually leaned into towards the girl in a hug. The girl quickly responded with a tight hug of her own. The moment was ruined however, when she pushed the girl away.

"You're pushing it, peasant," she retorted quickly, turning away and crossing her arms. The girl could only get up and laugh as she left her on the beach. The girl knew that everyone could change, but not everyone could change completely. Azula was still Azula, but now she was Azula….refined. Looking at the sky for one more quick glance, the girl smiled to herself before entering the beach house. People's lives take them strange places, and they do strange things…even make strange friends.

"Katara, I need to talk to you." He said under a whisper to the girl as she walked by. The woman was sitting on a chaise lounge close by, sipping on hot tea.

"Sure, Zuko. What's wrong?"

"I've received some intelligence that the former Fire Nation troops in the Earth Kingdom are being resistant to my regime,"

"What are you saying?"

"Katara, the military isn't loyal to me,"

Both the woman and the girl felt their hearts skip and their stomachs drop, giving him their full attention.

"The army is running around still claiming allegiance to Ozai. They're stealing, ransacking towns, and killing innocent people in direct refusal of me. I'm going to the Earth Kingdom tomorrow at sundown to recall the troops personally," he said almost monotone. The room grew still.

"And here I thought that the hard part was ending the war. I guess this is only the beginning," the girl said, sitting down next to the woman.

"Zuko, you can't go at this alone, Fire Lord or not!" the woman said in a fluster.

"Don't worry, I've got help. The Avatar is joining me," he assured, still not feeling entirely secure with his plans.

"You're going to need more help than that. You're taking on the entire Fire Nation army. I'm coming too, and I'm sure I can get Sokka and Toph to tag along," the girl replied, walking over to him and placing her hand on his shoulder.

"Thanks Katara. Mother, will you be okay when I'm gone? I'm leaving Mai in charge while I'm away since she's Fire Lord Consort, but I want to ensure your safety. I can't guarantee the Government will stay loyal while I'm away. These are troubling times, after all," he added to his dear mother.

"Don't worry. I'm sure Azula and I can handle ourselves. You just worry about getting home," the woman said as she walked over to her son and placed a comforting hand on his cheek.

"Don't worry mother. We won't be apart for too long this time," he said as the three exchanged a group hug. Little did they know, she was hiding in the shadows, listening to every word.

Later, after the girl had already left on Appa and he was waiting for his royal ship to circle back around to take him the Royal Capital City, the woman walked passed her daughter's room, just to check up on her. As she walked by, the woman found her packing her belongings into a bag with vicious speed.

"Azula, dear, what are you doing?" the woman inquired. She stopped what she was doing, dropping her clothes on the floor. She felt like she had just been caught disobeying parental rule. The woman simply looked distantly into the candle she held.

"There's a knife in the bottom drawer. Take that with you," the woman peeped. She continued her packing, avoiding eye contact with much skill.

"Ursa, I have to go. I feel like somehow I can help, and maybe this will help me in the long run, you know?" she said as she packed.

"I understand, Azula, and I agree. I just wish I didn't have to see both my children off so soon," the woman answered, tears beginning to fall. She stopped packing for a moment, feeling a pang in her heart.

"Ursa…I need to do this. I need to find my place in this world," she said, feeling philosophical. The woman left the room briefly, only to return with a flowing flame shaped headpiece. At one point, the woman wore the headpiece when she was Princess of the Fire Nation. She backed away from the woman, feeling unworthy to her intentions.

"Ursa, please, you don't need to give me that,"

"I do. It's supposed to be worn by the crown Princess," the woman said, holding out the artifact with a demanding stance. She finally took it, and looked at it with a longing.

"I'm no princess. Not anymore," she replied, a slight tear falling from her eyes.

"Yes you are, Azula. Never forget who you are!" the woman said as she took her daughter's chin, leveling her eyes to look into her own.

She turned away and packed the crown with her other belongings.

"You don't have to wear it now. But when you find yourself, dear daughter, promise you'll put it on," the woman requested, now fully crying.

"I promise," she replied, momentarily stopping her packing to look her mother in the eye.

Finally done packing, she went to her mother for one last hug.

"Goodbye mother. Don't give up on me," she whispered just as she darted off.

The woman watched as her daughter sped to the dock to stow away on her son's royal ship, which was just now pulling in. She saw how her daughter's features shined in the moonlight, recognizing her own face mirrored in her daughter's. The woman couldn't help but feel proud of her estranged daughter. Though she wishes she could have played a larger role in her daughter's development, the woman knew that her daughter had grown into a powerful woman, and possibly a force of reluctant good, despite her dark past. Taking her hair into her hands, the woman patted her hair in confirmation that she was in one piece as her heart was breaking.

"I'll never give up on you again," the woman whispered as she blew out her candle.


End file.
